6 Ways to Keep the Peace at Work

6 Ways to Keep the Peace at Work Weve all had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with people that we do not like. It’s not necessarily them, or maybe it is, but their personality doesnt fit yours or your taste in people. Thats fine, as long as you werent a d**k about it. During university days, campus was big enough to be able to avoid the people you didnt like, and to not have work with them on projects. However as soon as you land your first job, you realise you have no choice but to work with people from very different walks of life to you, and some of these people wont be to your taste. You can’t exactly choose your colleagues, and quitting is a bit too extreme, so how can you  be sure to  keep the peace at work? Heres how: 1. Avoid taboo subjects As a rule of thumb, unless you know someone or a group really well, don’t bring up taboo subjects. You have no idea what peoples’ lives have or haven’t involved, and what might upset, offend or anger them. You might think that your view on the subject is unanimous, but it’s not okay to assume, especially within the workplace. 2. Listen and show it! Learn to  listen properly:  and then practise by looking engaged, prying your eyes away from your phone screen and asking questions! If it’s a culture, tradition or even just a topic you don’t know much about, try to seem interested you might even learn something! Plus, if you take more interest in your colleagues, you’re more likely to be appreciated in return and be  valued as a team member. 3. Learn from past mistakes If youve witnessed someone making a comment that upsets a colleague or you have done so yourself in the past, take note. Hopefully you wouldnt be making upsetting comments anyway, but even if it’s an honest mistake, be aware that at least one person in the office could be offended by certain comments. Think before you say something, and perhaps next time, just  don’t mention it. 4. Understand there’s a time and place for a debate A work debate is just a glorified argument, and while discussing opinions in an openminded manner is great, most arguments do not take this tone. In light of this, keep the debatable topics to Friday night at the pub as opposed to a Monday lunchtime when everyone is already feeling rubbish. 5. Dont be too proud to apologise You might think that your view is gospel, even if someone is offended or annoyed by what youve said, but dont let your pride get in the way of an apology. Do you really need to be right all the time? Isnt it easier to just let it go and move on, with very little collateral damage? Lets just agree to disagree will come in handy for situations like this. 6. And if there’s tension Now, workplace bullying is not something to take lightly and if you feel victimised, speak to a manager. However, if some tension has simply grown between yourself and another member of the team, you have two options: ‘get over it’ or laugh it off. Which strategy you choose should be dependent on what  your future relationship with the colleague needs to be like, and the type of person you are. Im very non-confrontational, so when I was upset by what someone said once I chose to simply move past it for the sake of having to work together. If you’re feeling brave, bring it up by the kettle one day and laugh about it together (hopefully). If not, just let it pass. Theyve probably already forgotten about it. Image: Shutterstock

Interviewing with an Uneducated Interviewer - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Interviewing with an Uneducated Interviewer - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The Uneducated Interviewer You have likely encountered the uneducated interviewer! It is my claim that most hiring managers have never been trained to interview candidates. I just finished reading Who by Geoff Smart and Randy Street. This book is the bible on how to interview for A players. They chronicle ten different interview styles of the uneducated interviewer: The Art Critic -These are the managers who think they can spot talent when they see it. The Sponge They think if they spend enough time with you they will soak up enough to make a hiring decision. The Prosecutor They have watched too many episodes of Law and Order. They will aggressively question candidates attempting to trick the candidate. The Suitor They want to sell the candidate rather than interview them. The Trickster These are the interviewers who use gimmicks to test for certain behaviors. The authors state they might throw a wad of paper on the floor to see if a candidate is willing to clean it up. The Animal Lover Have you been asked in an interview What type of animal would you be? The Chatterbox Have you spent more time in an interview talking about the local sports team or the weather? The Psychological and Personality Tester Have you been required to take an assessment before being able to interview? The Aptitude Tester This is a variation of The Psychological and Personality Tester. The Fortune Teller The interviewer asked the candidate to predict the future. The authors give an example If you are going to resolve a conflict with a co-worker, how would you do it?. Do you recognize any of these? Have you used one of these interviewing techniques? I have! I will admit it. I have not been a very good interviewer! Lets address the three most common in my experience: The Suitor The suitor is the easiest of the uneducated interviewer to deal with. Be prepared to tell stories. You should have a story prepared for each responsibility listed in the job description. When there is a break in the conversation, pivot it back to the job description and immediately launch into a story. Let me tell you about the time I demonstrated The Chatterbox The chatterbox is definitely an uneducated interviewer. Most do not have a clue of how to interview, but be prepared to be hyper-vigilant when interviewing with other interviewers. If the hiring manager is a chatterbox, the decision on whether to hire you will most likely come from others. The Prosecutor As soon as you realize your interviewer is playing the role of district attorney, you have to play the role of a good witness. You need to listen carefully to the interviewer and answer the questions. Be prepared to thoughtfully delay answering the question. You can rephrase the question, Let me make sure I understand the question. You said This will give you time to think and make sure you really understand what he or she is asking. When I taught high school math, I used questions like, Do they have 4th of July in England? The answer is YES! They do not celebrate it, but they do have 4th of July. Lastly, be prepared to probe for pain points. Ask the interviewer about what was behind the question they just asked. You might say, From the last question, can I infer that you are having a problem with? If true, let me tell you about the time It is important not to pause between the question and the second sentence. Remember, you are dealing with a district attorney and you want to take control of the flow of conversation. The key in dealing with an uneducated interviewer is to be conversational and respectful. You definitely want to control the flow of the conversation. Be prepared to tell stories on how you demonstrated your expertise. Can you spot an uneducated interviewer? Marc Miller â€" Career Pivot Check out my book Repurpose Your Career â€" A Practical Guide for Baby Boomers Do not forget to follow me on Twitter or FaceBook

360 Degree Point of View to Help in Your Personal Branding - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

360 Degree Point of View to Help in Your Personal Branding - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career You need to learn how you’re viewed by others so you can take action to change the view if necessary. So ask. Many companies provide some sort of 360-degree interview exercises to senior people but don’t wait until it’s offered to you. Initiate your own version. When you do, be open to the results. Be careful not to become defensive. Here is a list of questions to work with: How well do I look for ways to meet or exceed customer needs? How well do I look for ways to meet or exceed manager’s needs? How well do I take a positive approach to business? How well do I work effectively with people in a wide variety of circumstances? How well do I analyze complex situations accurately and in a timely manner? How well do I minimize activities that do not add value to the organization? How well do I value others’ thinking; champion others’ thoughts? How well do I understand how to get things done in the organization? How well do I have in-depth industry knowledge? How well do I overcome obstacles? How well do I quickly act when I see an opportunity? How well do I demonstrate intellectual curiosity? How well do I make sure I can be counted on? How well do I remain in control when stressed or pressed? How well do I gain trust? How well do I admit responsibility for failures or mistakes? How well do I help others? How well do I follow through to get results? How well do I set a good example? How well do I see and understand the broad view of business? You don’t want to ask in an anxious, aggressive, or intimidated manner. Just straight out seek the person’s opinion with genuine interest and inquisitiveness. Pick one or two questions to try with one person, ask others, and continue over time. If the person says something you don’t quite understand, ask for an example. Sometimes you have to ask the same question 3-4 different ways to help someone answer. Take note if any pattern emerges that is not productive for your career advancement and decide to do something about it. Thank the person for their candor and later report back to him and her as to what you’ve done following up on the feedback and the results you’ve experienced.

15 Qualities for Becoming the Ideal Job Seeker - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

15 Qualities for Becoming the Ideal Job Seeker - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Are you the perfect job applicant? When recruiting, there are certain traits employers look for in the ideal job seeker. While we are not born with every desired trait, it is imperative we gain these attributes as we continue in our career and subsequently during our next job search. You should remember that no job applicant is perfect, though each and every one should strive for consistent improvement. With that being said, recruiters, hiring managers and human resource professionals will prioritize hiring job seekers who can be described as having the following 15 traits: 1. Leadership oriented. Companies like recruiting job seekers who have a future with their organization. Most facets of leadership are learned and thus the most efficient organizations want to mold progressive thinkers rather than have stagnant employees. They want each individual to have room to progress and in time be able to formulate their own winning teams. 2. Resilient. Resilient applicants are amongst the most sought after by hiring managers. These are the individuals who view their problems in an optimistic manner and don’t view hurdles as insurmountable, pervasive and their fault. They can fail and, after a brief demoralization get right back on their feet and continue producing for the company. 3. Candid. Individuals who are candid are among the best communicators around the office. They display a direct, clear manner of speaking which in turn fosters winning and helps eliminate bureaucracy. Moreover, this method of expression promotes new ideas, encourages fast action and engages more people in the conversation. 4. Competitive. Highly successful companies believe in differentiating their top performers from the average employees. These firms recognize the worth of making clear distinctions regarding the output individuals produce when compared to that of their peers. They understand that the people who fare best in the office are those who want to succeed and who are consistently formulating creative, compelling and logical methods to beat competing firms. 5. In control. Hiring managers consider successful people to be in control of their careers. The more knowledgeable employers actively seek out individuals who don’t let outside forces dictate their potential; they recruit employees who don’t fear normal setbacks. Among other things, in control translates to being able to keep calm and perform during times of heightened stress. 6. Friendly. Prior to recruiting, hiring managers seek out individuals who are easy to deal with and can be successfully managed by current staff. Moreover, when employers like you, they are more apt to give you an offer. When staffing new applicants, those who fit in with the current corporate culture are the most seriously considered. 7. Ambitious. Ambitious employees are those who continually drive towards a better way of doing things. They embrace challenges and are able to overcome hurdles. These people are never satisfied with the status quo and drive for better solutions, thus making an organization more competitive. 8. Ability to adapt. Staffing professionals seek job applicants who can change with the business environment. While many people love familiarity and patterns, the best understand that if you want to stay in the game (let alone win), change is a necessary aspect of business. 9. Creative. The most successful companies thrive because of innovation and a consistent improvement on current internal processes. They are consistently looking for those who can not only work autonomously, but who also can formulate fresh ways to complete old tasks. 10. Competent. Managers today are overly worked and have little time to oversee day to day activities. Thus, recruiting employees who can get the job done without being micromanaged are a significant priority these days. Competent job seekers can derive a return on investment for their employer while requiring minimal handholding from the leadership team. 11. Passionate. Although all employees are driven by monetary gain, the most sought after people are the ones who enjoy the work as much as they do the reward. Without passion, employees will utilize only a fraction of their intelligence, achieve only a percentage of what they are able to and will inevitably burn-out. Moreover, they will fail to positively impact both their lives and the lives of their co-workers, clients, managers as well as the firm’s leadership team. 12. Trustworthy. Without integrity, the other 14 qualities listed mean nothing. To be successful, companies need to have a culture that thrives on honesty and doing what is best for both the client and shareholders. Once trust is broken within a corporation, the rest of the positive aspects slowly unravel. 13. Decisive. Companies love hiring employees who can make tough decisions. These are the people who can quickly and efficiently analyze options, potential outcomes and pitfalls of a situation and make a firm call. They are the opposite of “wishy-washy.” HR managers know that indecisiveness can keep organizations from reaching a desired output and, thus actively recruit what former GE CEO Jack Welch refers to as “edge. 14. Team oriented. Hiring people who buy into the system is of the utmost importance when recruiting. They can work effectively in situations that require the cooperation of others, clearly fit into the confines of the firm’s corporate culture and bring a dynamic to meetings that welcomes debate and, ultimately, solves problems. 15. Goal oriented. Employers want to hire job seekers who always escalate their goals, though who still enjoy the journey along the way. They understand that money, power, status and possessions mean little without true passion for their job and, when recruiting seek people who feel the same way. In the End In conjunction with the above, intelligence, vision, confidence, knowledge and persuasiveness are additional qualities employers seek out. While hiring mangers, HR representatives and recruiters don’t need 100% of these traits present when staffing, the closer you are to 99%, the better your odds become at receiving a job offer.

Writing Resume Without Work Experience For Engineering Jobs

Writing Resume Without Work Experience For Engineering JobsOften the process of writing a resume without work experience for engineering positions is one of the most difficult tasks. You know how difficult it is to stand out from the crowd when trying to get a job in engineering. How can you possibly get hired, when your resume is so crammed full of years of work experience, and your interviewers will never even glance at yours?Yes, it's true, in some companies it may seem that it's better to hire someone with no work experience than someone who has had years of experience in the field. After all, that is what they are looking for, someone who hasn't been a grunt. This can be a serious disadvantage in your quest to get the job that you want.The simple truth is that many people who have years experience and plenty of valuable work history in the field will end up having to go through a hiring process, simply because their resume does not meet the requirements of an engineering company . In fact, many times your resume will be rejected simply because the company does not find anything on it to disqualify you. What you need to do is take advantage of this fact, and focus your attention on making sure that your resume has nothing that disqualifies you as a potential candidate.The first thing that you should do is to write a good idea of what position you would like to work in after graduation. If you don't know anything about a specific engineering company or the field, it's usually a good idea to use a specialized resume service that can help you write a resume that will apply to the exact type of position that you are applying for. One such service that you can utilize is called the 'Engineering Resume Creator.' They can actually craft your resume in such a way that will have an incredibly high chance of being selected for the position that you are seeking.Why does engineering jobs generally require years of experience? Engineers, in general, have extensive knowle dge and understanding of technology, and they deal with things that other people do not understand. For instance, you could say that an engineer is someone who has to deal with the creation of technological solutions. It is their responsibility to develop the technology that is going to make our lives easier, safer, and more comfortable.It is also important to remember that engineering resumes have different requirements than other types of resumes. There's are various things that an engineering resume must include, and it is a very smart move to focus on each of these. Here are some of the areas that you should pay attention to in your writing resume:Your educational achievements must be included. You can write a couple of sentences about your academic achievements, and if it is something that the hiring person finds relevant, then you should definitely include it. If it doesn't appear to be something that they find relevant, then chances are they will overlook it when reviewing yo ur resume.Your work experience must be given more emphasis than it is. Although it may be true that you have years of work experience, if your engineering company doesn't see your work experience as relevant, then they will dismiss your experience. After all, if they do not have any experience with an engineer with no work experience, they probably won't choose someone with no work experience to put on the project. Make sure that you pay close attention to the areas that are emphasized in your resume.

The value of a happy team - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

The value of a happy team - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog In this video gymnast Katelyn Ohashi scores a perfect 10 for her floor routine. But while her skills are amazing, my favorite thing in this video is how happy and engaged the rest of the team standing in the background are. They celebrate when she sticks a landing and even do some of her moves along with her. What couldnt you do with that kind of support and energy around you! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

On a Clear Day, I Can See Your Visual Resume - CareerAlley

On a Clear Day, I Can See Your Visual Resume - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. Ralph Waldo Emerson On a previous post I did on on Visual Resumes (Visual Resumes Do You Have Yours?). At the time, it was the first I had heard about visual resumes and, given where we were in technology (emerging smartphones, increasing importance of the Internet, you get the drift). I fully expected visual resumes to become really popular within in a few years. While I continue to hear and read about visual resumes, I dont think that they have taken the world by storm (yet). Time will tell. In this post Ill revisit some of the sites I covered in my first post (where are they now?) as well as try and uncover the popularity (or not) of these relatively new arrivals to the job search scene. Two of the three sites I reviewed two years ago are no longer in existence. So exactly what is a [easyazon_link asin=0071825576 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=yes]Visual Resume[/easyazon_link]? As mentioned in my earlier post, it is your online professional marketing brochure, your personal branding. New concept and leading edge. Of course everything has its pros and cons and the same is true of visual resumes. Pros: Your visual resume is always available, so potential employers can see you whenever they want. You control what is seen and can ensure you get it right Easier to market yourself by providing a link Cons: We are not all photogenic. In fact, some of us are ugly as hell (like me for an example). But seriously, unless you are really good at this or have hired someone to help you put it together, stick to a traditional resume. Where are they now: VisualCV I last looked at this site two years ago. The site still offers a tour as well as examples. There is also a link for get yours now its free. The tour gives an overview of how to create your visual resume and what is generally included. You can embed almost any type of media as well as hyperlinks to your personal website or social site profile (like LinkedIn). The service is free. It is worth looking at the examples before creating your own visual resume as they will give you some ideas as to what might work best for you. Lots of information to help you decide. How to Make a Visual Resume with PowerPoint in 3 Steps Stand Out from the Crowd This article, posted on makeuseof.com, provides an alternative to creating a visual resume, using MS PowerPoint (in three steps no less). The article provides an overview, compares/contrasts video versus PowerPoint and then gives you what you need to create yours on PowerPoint. If you are considering a visual resume, take a look at this article and consider your options. VizualResume Need some examples so you can figure out what you want to do? Need a template to get you started? Need some help in getting yourself started? Then check out this site. Check out the Visual Archive for some really neat ideas. Now it looks like the last time this site was updated was July of 2010, but that shouldnt stop you from checking out the content. Amazingly, there is not much information out there regarding visual resumes (as in how, what, who, etc.). There are, however, tons of samples to review. Whatever you decide. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey